Chapter 10

“I’ve been eagerly anticipating this moment!”

As soon as I emerged from the restroom, I was met with a booming voice.

A man clad entirely in black.

He was unfamiliar, not someone I knew.

And he seemed rather agitated.

“Hey, took you quite some time. Were you having trouble in there?”

“No, everything was fine. I just have a tendency to be meticulous, so I take my time with things.”

“You should try using the bidet. The toilets here even have warm air dryers. Did you make sure to dry properly?”

“I just used toilet paper. But thanks for your concern.”

“Alright, wait a moment.”

The man trembled with anger and shouted.

“Make sure to dry your wet hands with a handkerchief! You’re not a child!”

“Oh, my apologies. I was in a rush—”

I swiftly wiped my wet hands with a handkerchief from my pocket.

After confirming that I had dried them properly, the man nodded in approval.

“Children tend to imitate adults. Make sure to act mature.”

“Thank you for your advice.”

“Indeed.”

“Well then,”

I hurried off to where I presumed Livia-Chan and Thanatos-Chan were waiting—

“Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!!!!”

The man called out to me, halting my progress.

Turning back, I noticed that the man seemed even more furious than before.

“I’ve come to challenge you to a fight!”

“Uh, sorry about the confusion. I’m not really skilled at impromptu acting—”

“This isn’t acting! I’m a warrior of the Thirteenth Steps!”

“What?!”

In an instant.

My body shook with intensity.

And I glanced again at the man’s figure.

Confidence radiated from him.

Yet there was also a charm, a somewhat foolish expression.

Above all, in the setting known as Penguin Land.

No way—

“You’re… Lambda!”

“Yeah, that’s correct!”

“Uh, the ‘Furious Explosive’!!”

“Huh? There’s no such nickname.”

“Thirteen Steps, Third Tier!!”

“Well, I haven’t even reached senior status yet—”

Huh?

I looked again at the man’s face.

Confidence still lingered.

But now it seemed somewhat foolish.

No, hold on.

“Why are you disappointed?”

“Upon closer inspection, you’re not as impressive as I thought.”

“Huh?”

“You seem like a background character.”

“Uh, hey hey hey hey!”

The man shouted like a seal.

“Stop babbling if you’re just going to criticize!”

“Well, I wasn’t exactly silent, was I?”

“Shut up!”

GRRRR!!!!

I clenched my fist.

And Lambda assumed a fighting stance, crouching.

His movements were rough yet oddly refined, capturing my attention.

“I can’t take it anymore. I heard you were quite skilled, so I intended to show some respect, but enough.”

Now—

Perish, scattering your entrails.

“Alright, then… Furious Explosive, Crush!!!”

The man’s figure—

“……!”

Blurry.

Disappeared.

The space trembled.

No—like a cannonball, the man surged straight ahead with unstoppable force.

His iron fist—

Pierced through—

“……!”

Thunk!

“……”

“……”

“Huh?”

There was no sound, no impact.

No phenomenon, just the man standing before me, his fist against my abdomen.

“Huh?”

“Um, cliché as it sounds, that was quite a blow.”

“Huh? Why are you unharmed?”

Timidly questioning, I honestly answered.

“I blocked it with magic.”

“Oh, I see.”

Lambda nodded as if he understood.

“I dispersed the power with the only magic I can handle right now, ‘Sever,’ and scattered it here and there, nullifying it.”

“That’s news to me, being able to use such magic.”

“I’ve never mentioned it before.”

“I see.”

Nodding, Lambda continued.

“Well then, I’m heading home for today!”

He darted away like a hare.

I could have just ignored him, but he was headed towards where the twins would likely be waiting.

So,

“Wait a moment.”

“Huh?!”

I grabbed Lambda’s shoulder.

“Uh, you weren’t moving like that a moment ago, were you…?”

“I ‘severed’ the distance between you and me.”

“Isn’t your magic a bit unpredictable?”

I said to the man, his expression contorted.

“Since we’re already here, why not relax over a beer and talk it out?”

“……Then let’s go to the restaurant near Marine Sky. They serve delicious craft beer.”

He’s quite composed.

I nodded in agreement.